Paper-feeding mechanism.



PATENTED OCT. l5. 1907.

. ALLEN.

APEL-NATION ILED EEO. 30. '1904.

4being fed forwardly from the ridge to the press. This nto. handle thesheets singly l have utilizedablast 4or v struction, located at or nearthe apex of the ridge.

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ARTHUR S. ALLEN, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PAPE R-FEEDING ME CHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. l5, 1907.

Application filed December 30,1904. Serial No. 238,885.

To all ywhom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR S/ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Paper-Feeding Mechanism,ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, is a specication, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

This invention is intended as an improvement on the class ofpaper-feeding mechanism shown` in United States Pateut'No. 748,279,dated December 29, 1903, wherein, as described, a ridge has aninclined'side next the pile of sheets from -which the topmost sheets arestarted by a wheel or rotary member in contact with the topmost sheet,said sheet being .pushed beyond the sheets thereunder and contactingwith and being forced up the inclined side of the ridge to'be seized bysheetdrawing means located at the apex of the ridge and substantiallymidway the length of the ridge, the sheets ridge is employed to lift theedges of the sheets as they approach the sheet-drawing means to thuslift the lead-y ing end of the top sheet sufficiently for the entranceof air therebetween and so prevent the clinging .together of the leadingends of two or more sheets which may have been pushed o ff the pile.When the leading ends oi the sheetscling together it is very difficult,if not impossible, for the drawing-0H rollers or means to grasp theleading 'end oi each single sheet and draw each sheet separately fromthe top ofthe pile of sheets that each shetmay be delivered tosheet-gripping or feeding rollers that pass each sheet singly to thepress meehanism.

To overcome all tendency of the leading ends of the sheets clingingtogether and thus rendering it ditlicu t current of air which is sodirected as to act under the leading end of the top sheet as it isshoved or moved off the pile of sheets and up the inclined side of theridge, l have ascertained that a blast or current of air may be socontrolled as to its force as to partially or substantially sustain theweight of the leading end of the top sheet as it is made to leave thetop of the pile and during its journey up theincline of the ridge to begrasped by the sheet-drawing or feeding means, oi whatever con- Figure lis a sectional detail showing a pile of sheets, means for moving the topsheet of the pile up the incline of the ridge, and -means vfor creatinga current or blast of air which is delivered through the inclined faceofthe ridge under the advancing sheets; Fig. 2 is a detail of part oithe ridge showing some of the covering through which the air isdischarged; Fig. 3 is adetail of the covering, and Fig. 4 shows amodified form of cover.

Referring to the drawing, A represents a pile of sheets, B' acombing-wheel which is mounted on a stud B heid in a counterbalancedframe, the wheel being adapted vto act upon and shove the top sheet afrom the pile; C

represents a rotatable wheel fixed on a shaft and 8 a y Wheel mountedloosely on a stud' carried by an arm secured to a rock-shaft 7, thewheel being free to be' moved up and down in an opening at the apexA ofa ridge D, the opening being substantially midway the ends of the ridge,.the wheels C and 8 being employed to grasp the leading end of eachsheet shoved off the pile by the combing-wheel, or any other usualdevice,

and forced up the incline a of the ridge. The parts thus far describedmay, and are supposed to be, common to United, States Patents Nos.748,279, dated December 29, 1903, and 744,053, dated January 26, 1901i.v

The invention to be herein described has more especially for its objectto prevent the possible clinging to gether of the leading ends of thepaper and insuring that the wheels C and 8 grasp singly the leading endof each.

'to permit the compressed air conned in the cylinder to be deliveredtherefrom to the ridge with the desired force or pressine, the airpassing from the ridge through suitable holes or orifices at theinclined face oi the ridge, the latter being herein shown as providedwith a series of air passages to discharge the air under pressure anddeliver the same to the under sides of the leading ends o the sheetsbeing shoved ofi the top of the pile of sheets l and up the incline. Forthe best results I have made the part of the ridge next the pile ofsheets hollow as represented in Fig. l, and I have covered the top ofthe hollow space with a tneryreticnlated cover which may be Composedeither of a series of coils of ne wire intermeshed one with another or'in pairs by shoving one wire, preferably right twisted, laterally intothe side of another wire-coil, preferably left twisted, as provided forin United StatesPatent No. 748,279 wherein said wire-coils are employedin connection with the tympan of a press. Herein, however, the illing inthe interstices of the wire-Coils will be omitted, and preferably thewire-coils will be extended in a direction crosswise of the ridge asthereby the interstices ofthe coils have a tendency to deliver the linestreams of air spread out,

as it were, in the direction of the length oi' the ridge. Instead,however, of the intermeshed wire-coils torming the cover' 'e ridge, lmay use thin sheet steel havin-ff -l. therein, the holes beingpreierdirection of the length of the ridge, but this invention is-notlimite-d all'instances Y torhaving the discharge orifices from the ridgeelongated, although elongated orifices are consideredmore desirable. Itwillbe noticed herein that the top' sheets of the pile o sheets A aresupported atan incline with relation to a horizontal plane, theparticular means for supporting the said pilevheingillustrated in myappli- `cation, Serial No, 239,384,` filed January 3, 1905.

l the ridge with a'pressuregreater than thatoithe usual atmosphere.

Having fully described my invention,-what I claim as new and desire tosecure byLetter's Patent is'b 1.' In paper-feeding mechanism, means tosustain a pile of sheets, a ridge having anl inclined side provided with'a' series of separate interstces, means' to shove the'top sheets of thepile towardfsaidridge, means tov foice air through .said intersticesyagainstl the under side of. Vthe ieadinglend of a sheet of paperleaving said pile and while being moved up said incline andmeans locatedwithin the ridge and\extverior to the` apex thereofyfor engaging theleading ends-of the sheets being\-iemoved separately from the pile. v'

' 2.' Inpaper-feeding mechanism, means to sustain 'a pile of sheets,. aridge havingan inclined\`side provided with a series of 'in terstviees,means to shove tlile top sheets of the pile towardsaid ridge, and meansto\f\orce air through said" interstices against the under side og theleading end of- ,a sheetof papell -leaying said 'pilef and while beingvmov'edfup said incline. Y

In paper-feeding mechanism, means tosustain apile of' sheets, a ridge'having an inclined side provided with ai `series of nterstices,. feedingmeans at the top' of said in-' `eline to engage the leading end oitheuppermost svheetof a pile of paper, a combing device hating on 'theuppermost l sheetof said pile to project it Aand others below it beyondthe end ofnthe pile,` and 'meansrto force air against the' under sidesof vthe leading endsy of the' sheets 'of paper leaving said plie andbeing moved up saidincline, the top sheet of'the' pile to be engaged bythe feeding means.

In testimony whereef,.1 have sgned"`my nameto this specification, .inthe presence of itvvo subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR s. ALLEN.'

Witnessesc MARGARET'A. DUNN,

Bnm'na F. Huosnn.

